Mission: Accomplished
by Aciddrop Kitty
Summary: The war lasted a long time and some orders fell between the cracks. Now that it's over, forgotten soldiers are coming out of the woodwork.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: HasTak owns everything, because if I did, the world would scream in terror..._

Mission: Accomplished

Unicron had been completely destroyed, Galvatron lost in a "freak" interstellar accident halfway across the galaxy, and the few remaining Decepticons had hidden themselves in the wreckage of Charr. The Third Great War was finally over, and peace had come to Cybertron at last. Optimus Prime looked over his healing world and felt a sense of completion.

"Most of the wreckage has been cleared out, and the major structures rebuilt. All of the communications systems are back up, and we'll have the major transportation lines up in half a stellar cycle." Hot Rod fidgeted. Prime's presence had never made him feel uncomfortable before, but he hadn't been a Prime then... He hadn't taken pleasure in his job, but he had tried to do his best. He was more than happy to return the Matrix to his predecessor. But now, with Optimus Prime himself looking over his accomplishments, he felt almost embarrassed by his indifference.

"Everybody's been working hard to get this place back into shape. Cybertron almost looks almost like some place you'd actually want to be, huh? Not that you couldn't tell. I mean, since it's been a while since you've seen it since..." Hot Rod trailed off awkwardly and focused on some imaginary point in the distance.

"Since I died, you mean." Prime could barely hide the amusement in his voice as his companion spluttered.

"Uhh, well, yes. I mean, er-"

"Relax man, can't ya tell Prime's kiddin?" Jazz appeared on the balcony from seemingly nowhere, grinning. Hot Rod sighed, slightly miffed.

"Anyway," the saboteur slid into position next to his commander, "I've got some great news."

"We seem to have nothing but lately." Optimus smiled beneath his faceplate. Hot Rod snorted.

"And now we're jinxed," his companions brightened even more.

"So, what's the news? Did Charr implode?" he stared blandly at Jazz. The mech shrugged.

"Naw, nothin like that, not that I wouldn't mind." Prime shook his head.

"So, what did happen?"

"Our best agent has successfully completed the longest and most intense undercover mission ever assigned to a soldier." They could feel the pride radiating off him.

"He successfully infiltrated the Decepticons' highest ranks early in the war, and single-handedly caused more damage, and sabotaged more of Old Megs' plans than the rest of the rest of us put together." With a strangely satisfied pause, he continued, "He's the one who sent the last of Galvarton's fleet inta that black hole." They stared slack jawed.

"Primus! Are you _kidding_ me?" Hot Rod was livid. "We had someone on the inside the _entire time_? And he didn't get discovered? What kind of _fragging lunatic_ would actually stay with those pit-spawned psychopaths? How could he even be _sane_ after so long? _Slaggit Jazz_, what kind of messed-up Black Ops do you run anyway?" Jazz was slowly backing away from the incensed ex-Prime.

"He was... kinda nuts already..." Jazz laughed nervously. He looked to Optimus for support, receiving none. Their leader was far too busy trying to wrap his processor around the idea of an Elite Decepticon on _their_ side.

" Who..? When..?" He wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to know. He couldn't even remember giving the ok for that kind of mission, it must have been so long ago... Trying to salvage his composure, he straightened.

"I-I suppose congratulations are in order..."

"Ah, cool..." Hot Rod's left optic was flickering erratically. "I'd like ta introdu- _reintroduce_ you ta our number one double agent." Jazz motioned to the door, a disturbingly familiar mech stepped out, grinning manically. Prime's processor broke. Hot Rod shrieked.

_"Starscream?!"_

_A/N:_

_Ok, show of hands, who saw that coming from a mile away? Yeah, well... I blame darkenergon. deviantart. com / art / Autobot-Starscream-81419119 So, um, there!_


	2. Chapter 2

Mission: Accomplished

_Part Two_

_Vorns ago in Iacon at Autobot Headquarters..._

Sentinel focused his most withering stare on the jet, only to have it challenged with pure fury. There were very few who could match the Prime's glower, and even fewer who dared to outright challenge him. Begrudgingly he realized that if the hateful stare-down continued any longer, he was likely to lose to the irate scientist. The thought made him smirk, though the change in expression did nothing to deter the jet, who seethed.

The mech had nerve, that was for sure, and he couldn't help but respect him for it. There were so few with conviction these days, no one knew what they really wanted or what they were fighting for. For Primus' sake, the _Decepticons_ were more focused than anyone at this point! But the smoldering red optics that burned through to his very spark held absolute clarity, and he knew the mech before him would never back down or give up on what he knew was right. He would fight to the pit and back, Primus be damned, to get what he wanted. That unyielding determination was something he hadn't seen in so long he'd forgotten what it looked like.

Cybertron needed more mechs like the incensed one before him. Perhaps if there had been more, they wouldn't be in the situation they were now... But there was no use looking at the past, only the future could bring salvation now, bleak as it seemed. But looking at the jet, so fiery and full of life, he knew there was still hope. And maybe, just maybe, the mech before him could be the key to finding it. Or perhaps he was just going mad in his old age. He laughed.

"All right, _Starscream_ was it? You want a rescue mission? Well, tough luck. We can't give it to you," he held up a hand, silencing the jet before he could protest.

"Don't take it the wrong way, I'd give you the go ahead you needed if I could. Why? Because I slagging _like_ you, don't ask me why!" he ignored Prowl choking back disbelief.

"But here's the thing, Cybertron's gone to the Unmaker while you've been away, and I don't have the resources to help you out. _No one does_."

The jet hissed and turned on his heel ready to storm out when the Prime stood and grabbed the Starscream's wing. His captive went rigid in shock, though Sentinel was sure the his face was still locked in a murderous rage.

"I can't do anything now, but I may have a way to help you out." He hoped.

Starscream pulled out of his grasp and studied him with unshielded suspicion.

"It's not exactly instant, but it's got to be better than whatever convoluted scheme you have to run off and save your partner alone."

"Oh so you can help me, can you?" the jet chuckled humorlessly. "And what exactly do you _want_ from me, then?"

"How _dare_ you-" Prowl bristled only to be silenced by a piercing glance from Sentinel.

"I'd like to hear what he has to say." he gave his frustrated second an exasperated look. Prowl, still mystified by the Prime's uncharacteristic behavior, stepped back reluctantly.

After a moment sizing up the tactician, the jet decided he wasn't a threat and began his tirade, gesturing madly, pacing back and forth with urgency.

"You think I don't know what you're planning to do? The moment I stepped in the room you saw me as a _pawn_ in your little political scam. You don't care for law or justice, you just want to get everyone to shut up and go back to playing their little underground games. You can't fix Cybertron and you know it, it's too far gone. The best you can hope for is that everyone settles down and dies quietly under the illusion that they're happy," he hissed menacingly.

Prowl looked about ready to snap, but ever the good soldier, he kept silent. Sentinel sighed and turned to the window, gazing out at the crumbling towers of Iacon. His city, his world was crumbling, and there was no denying it.

"You're right, _I_ can't do anything. We're running out of energon, and I was too blind to realize it before the Senate did, and was unable to put a stop to their corruption. Because of their greed, Cybertron now reeks of oppression, hate, and war. We have no way to feed the starving masses, repair their crumbling homes, or appease the unrest in their sparks. The government has failed its people, and no longer has the capacity to keep order.

"Megatron and his Decepticons are right, the current system is outdated and needs to be removed. We need new leaders who the people can _trust_, mechs who understand and can undo the damage. But I'm afraid the current power holders would never agree to give up their positions. Due to the spread of the Senates' influence, I'm little more than a figure head and that isn't enough to stop_ Megatron,_ let alone correct the situation," he spat venomously.

His shoulders slumped and Sentinel let his weight fall to the pillar beside him. It was rare that he felt his age, but it was catching up with him faster by the astrosecond. Looking back at his long list of mistakes, he couldn't help but feel the vorns pounding down on him. Tiredly he watched as the jet mulled over his words, no doubt analyzing them to the letter.

"You want me to get rid of the government for you." Starscream's voice was devoid of emotion, it wasn't a question.

"You _are_ smart. No wonder the Science Coalition hates you." the jet didn't move, but his optics became sharper, more dangerous somehow. He grinned in amusement.

"I took a little time and read up on you Starscream, _I know what you are_. You have quite the resume, of course I expected no less from a mech who could effortlessly get past the most advanced weapons defense systems on Cybertron."

"If you think I'm going to fight for _you_-" Starscream growled before being cut off.

"Not in a million vorns would you work for me, I know. It's a good thing I don't want you too."

"_Excuse me?_"

"This war can't be stopped. There's too much chaos now to even hope for a peaceful resolution, it needs to be fought to the end, no matter how grisly it may be, even if it means extinction. Unfortunately even if there is a winner, none of those in power now could possibly rebuild our society. We need someone new, someone who can understand not just one side, but _all of them_. What I want you to do is find that mech, whoever it may be, whatever faction, model, class, I don't care, and make sure they _win_.

"To do that, I need _you_ specifically. As I've said, the only way to replace the current system is to destroy it, and at the moment the only mech capable of doing that is _Megatron._ He has the most influence and power of anyone right now, and we need to take advantage of it, without letting him win. That means we need someone who can infeltrate his ranks and keep him in check until the time when a true leader of our people can be found."

"And you want _me_ to hold his leash? Are you_ missing your logic chips?_" he screeched causing the Autobots to wince. "_You don't know me!_ How can you _trust me?_ How do you think _I_ could possibly do that? I'm a _scientist_, not a politician, and certainly not a warrior! It would be_ suicide_ for me to try!"

"Somehow I doubt that. You're a survivor; clever, courageous, smart, skilled, and resourceful. You fought against everyone and everything to get into the Academy, and no matter what they threw at you, or how they tried to stop you, you managed to show them up at every turn. You worked past every obstacle and become the most decorated graduate in history, then you proceeded to take one one of the most dangerous and challenging missions imaginable. You were able to stay online alone in deep space, half dead, systems fragged, and make it home. Before you were even fully repaired you ran off to fight the Council. For vorns you argued with them until they were forced to kick you out, and then tried every repeal you could until you ran out of options.

"When convincing me was the only thing you could think of, you immediately flew around the _most advanced_ weapons system on the planet like it was _nothing_, confused the slag out of my soldiers, hacked the system and then waltzed in here like _you owned the place_! I've _never_ seen someone as ridiculously stubborn and arrogant as you, and certainly not with the talent to back themselves up! I _know_ that if you decided to take on this challenge, _Unicron himself_ wouldn't be able to stop you." Sentinel suddenly offlined his optics and slumped back, as if speaking had warn him out completely.

Starscream and Prowl grimiced in disbelief, not quite able to say anything to the haggard Prime. Neither knew what to do, relieved when he looked up and spoke.

"Why do I need you? Because you _look _like a seeker, you _hate_ the Science Coalition, and you broke into _my slagging office!_ No one would question you if you decided to join the Decepticon cause after being kicked out on your aft. You would have no problem advancing in the ranks with your skill, and you could _easily_ manipulate Megatron. I don't have an agent who could pull that off, and even if I did I doubt they'd be as stubborn as you. As far as I can tell, you're the only mech for the job." He gazed at the jet sadly. "Help me out."

Starscream fumbled to find words, fidgeting madly. The slagging _Prime_ had just told him he needed to save their entire race single handedly, based on some wild notion. What in the name of _Primus_ was going on? He'd come to get a rescue mission authorized, not _save the planet!_ This was so very fragged up.

"_I- you- that's- _NO! You want me to become a _ruthless killer_ and slag every last mech in power, _including_ yourself? I _could never, would never_ do such a thing! I came here for _help_, not to get recruited on some fragging quest to save the universe!" Whirling around, he stormed off, almost destroying the console as he slammed his hand down on the control that opened the door.

"Like I said, you'll get to find your friend."

Starscream stopped and turned, optics flashing, wondering just how the Prime had come up with that idea.

"Oh _really_? And how exactly am I going to do that if I'm off parading as a _psychopath_?"

"We're running out of energon." he stated lamely. "We need to find a new source of power, and_ you've_ been farther into deep space than any other mech online. You tell us where your friend is and when we inevitably search for more energy, that planet will be the first one on the list."

"And _why_," he hissed, not turning around, "would you do that?"

"Your report indicated it was rich with fuel sources, did it not? Look, if what's-his-name is still functioning he'd have to be in stasis, and at the rate we're running out of energy we'll be searching the universe long before he gets near deactivation. If I put that planet on the top of the list, and any expedition will make it the _number one_ priority." The door closed and Sentinel smirked.

It was a stupid, half cocked plan anyway. Why would some angry scientist ever consider it? Sometimes he wondered if perhaps he really _was_ missing his logic chips. Primus knew how he was going to explain this to his painfully logical second in command without a visit to the med-bay, and then once the medics _knew_- he was jolted out of his thoughts by a high pitched voice.

"You really think your pit-spawned plan has a chance?"

"Oh," Sentinel grinned honestly for the first time in vorns, "I'm _sure_ it has more of a chance than you do at finding your partner alone."

Starscream snorted contemptuously smirked at him, "You truely _are_ gliched." He casually leaned against the door. "Lucky for you, I just happen to be insane. So tell me, when does my undercover world-saving training begin?"

Sentinel broke out into a deep, hearty laugh that was soon joined by Starscream's squeaky chuckle.

-----

"We aren't really sure what happened to poor Prowl. Maybe it was the shock of hearin' stuffy old Sentinel Prime laugh, or maybe it was the entire ordeal, who knows? But man, they say his logic center _exploded_ like enrgon after a blast, and he was twitchin' on the floor for breems before they finally dragged him off to the med bay. Can't say I don't feel for him though. Heck, I probably would have done the same thing." Jazz shrugged. "I mean, I only met Sentinel once or twice, but he didn't strike me as the kinda mech who'd come up with somethin' that fragged up, but hey, can't argue with the results."

"You know what they say, it's always the quiet ones," Starscream smirked.

Jazz grinned mischievously, shaking his head. "How does that explain you, Star_screach_?"

He managed to duck before the blue fist collided with his face.

"I'll have you know," he hissed irritably at the grinning saboteur, "that I was very quiet before _Megatron_ drove me to utter madness with his _constant stupidity_!"

"Now now, we all know ya got the name 'Starscream' _somehow_, no need ta-" another fist finished his statement for him, clipping his chin. He shook it off laughing and dashed off the balcony, closely followed by an extremely irate jet who was in no way quiet about his intentions.

"Well..." Optimus trailed off, gaping at the door. "That was... enlightening," he finished blandly.

"No. No it really wasn't," Hot Rod mumbled in a slightly sickened voice.

"No, no it wasn't," Prime amended.

_A/N:_

_I wasn't going to write anymore of this... but then... I did. Homework procrastination is the mother of all invention... or something. Yes, I made Sentinel Prime way too omniscient and flippant, but whatever. It's an occ crack!fic anyway, right?  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Mission: Accomplished

_A Jazzy Snip_

_It took less than a breem for every Autobot on base to learn about Sentinel's deranged plan involving the apparently double agent seeker. Unfortunately for Jazz the time it took for the gossip to spread was just enough for a series of unpleasant events to occur that were even more bizarre... at least to him._

Ever so slowly a foreboding feeling of wrongness seeped into the Rec. Room leaving an eerie silence and a palpable sense of dread in its wake. It wasn't long before every sensor in the vicinity was acutely attuned to the sickening miasma permeating through the area, slicing like frozen fire through each of their systems as it sought out its target, carefully slinking through the masses. Each terrified mech prayed with everything they had that they weren't the damned one. Then, like a viper, it zeroed in on the unlucky bot and struck with deadly accuracy.

Jazz didn't have time to think as the miasma coiled around his frame with unforgiving ferocity. The simmering malice bit deep into his plating and his spark sank to the bottom of his fuel tanks as he realized he'd been rendered immobile.

"You..." a voice whispered softly, almost airily, as it slipped into his audios. As the sound washed over him he shivered.

"..._you_..." the quiet voice repeated with an acerbic edge.

Jazz could feel the unknown entity drawing closer as the invisible force around him intensified, crushing the life from him. Footsteps echoed throughout the room and cold terror rose higher and higher inside him, threatening to burst. As time ticked by the miasma grew in intensity, icy grip tightening around those innocents nearest to him. It swiftly congealed inside them and they too were rendered immobile.

"_...you..._" the hollow voice echoed again, now right behind him.

The living malevolence crawled all over him with sharp prickly claws as the miasma tightened...

The optics of his companions were wide as saucers and filled awed horror at the sight of the assailant he couldn't name. No one moved, no one made a sound. The stillness settled and Jazz swallowed the energon rising in his tanks as the mind-numbing astroseconds stretched into what seemed like vorns while his mind tormented him with delightfully wicked images.

Unable to take the torture any longer, he gathered all of his courage and prayed to Primus before carefully turning to meet his death...

_Enraged. Furious. Angry. Incensed. Livid. Irate. Wrathful. Infuriated..._

Strangely Jazz couldn't quite find a word that fit the emotion in the bright blue optics facing him before his world exploded into nothingness.

Oblivion was sadly short-lived... there was pain... white-hot agony surging through his body sending every warning signal blaring and screeching through his processor. His only relief was that the damned miasma was finally gone, and anything, anything at all was better than that.

He tried to online his optics but the white blurring his vision forced them off. Drawing on vorns of training, Jazz focused, detaching himself from the pain, then tried again. It worked but left him oddly detached, stray thoughts and observations bounced through the surreal emptiness.

_Huh. _

The table was broken in several pieces on the floor with pink blotches.

_Energon._

The cubes he and his friends were drinking had been spilled.

_What a shame... _

Scattered around there were a few chairs and-

_Ah, his friends. They were on the floor too. Probably knocked over when the table broke..._

They were looking at him. In fact, _everybody_ was looking at him. They were all shocked and afraid.

_Why were they afraid? _

He couldn't remember...

_Oh, they weren't looking at him, not really. They were looking at _the hand_..._

_The giant hand that was currently _crushing_ him, snapping his circuits, squeezing the energon out of him... _

Pink trails ran through the stained hand, dripping down the white arm and splashing into the small puddles on the floor...

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

A large white mech with familiar _blue optics_ was focused on him...

_Who...? He knew that mech..._

Names came to him but none of them fit until-

_Skyfire!_

_That had to be it! The Valkyrie was the only mech that _big_ and that _white_ on all of Cybertron... _

_But he wasn't really _all_ white of course. He had a bit of black, a few red stripes, and those _blue optics_... _

Blue optics_, why were those so important again? _

Jazz couldn't remember.

_Pink..._

_There was pink? Skyfire didn't have any pink components... But there it was, splattered all over his faceplates... _

Jazz noted that Skyfire didn't look particularly fetching in pink. The jet didn't look very happy about it either.

Must have been more spilled energon. He sure did get covered in a lot of it... It was on his chest, wings, arms, and-

_Oh..._

A hand wrapped around him... A white arm dripping with energon... The arm was connected to... Those accusing blue optics...

_Oh...The hand belongs to _Skyfire_..._

Skyfire was _crushing_ him...

_That's..._ odd.

The scientist was the most passive mech he'd ever met... But here the jet was _killing_ him...

_Well, there must be a good reason for it... _

He was pretty sure Skyfire wouldn't kill him if he didn't have a good reason.

The jet's mouth was moving, he was saying something...

_What...? _

"It was _you._"

_Me?_

"_You_ did it."

_Did what?_

"It was _your_ fault,_ you _broke him!"

_I..? Who?_

"_You_ were the one who turned him into a _murderer!_"

_I don't understand..._

"_You_ taught him to _kill!_"

_I've taught lots of mechs how to kill..._

"Starscream..."

_...Starscream? Who's Starscream?_

"My poor sweet Starscream..."

_He's... the Decepticon Second in Command... _

"Innocent little Star, he'd never hurt anyone-"

_No... he's the enemy! A crazed blood thirsty maniac!_

"Not until_ you_ got your energon stained claws into him-"

_Me?_

"He didn't even know how to hold a gun-"

_I... remember. They sent him to me..._

"_You _trained him to be a _psychopath-"_

_Primus, I did didn't I?_

"_You_ turned him into a _Decepticon-" _

_I didn't want to, it wasn't my idea!_

"It's _all your fault_, _you_ did it, _you _destroyed everything-"

_No, no, no! I just did what I was told!_

"_You _killed my naive little partner..."

_He's still alive, I just spoke with him!_

"_You _took him away, he never had a chance..."

_But he's on base right now!_

"You _disgusting_ piece of _worthless slag-_"

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry!_

"How _dare _you-"

_Primus! Stop! Please I-_

"Put him down! For the love of Primus Skyfire, _put Jazz down!_" someone howled with a voice that grated on Jazz's audios.

_Starscream?_

"Starscream?" Skyfire echoed the name in wonder. All of the anger evaporated as the Valkyrie watched the seeker blankly.

Starscream was trying in vain to pry the broken saboteur from his grasp.

_Starscream is saving me from Skyfire. _

_Huh._

It was at that point that Jazz flopped over into stasis lock, the amusing image of the tiny seeker trying to physically remove the Valkyrie from him forever etched in his processor...

_A/N: _

_Well... that was strange. I don't even know what to write next... How anticlimactic. Or something. Wait! I never meant to write _this!_ There shouldn't be a _next! This_ shouldn't even exist! ...I need to stop writing in the middle of the night... or get an editor... It just keeps getting worse... whatever... Why do I even post this stuff? (Hello Badfic!)  
_

_All I can say is that for some reason the idea of Skyfire choking the life out of Jazz makes me giggle. _


End file.
